I'm a huge freak when it comes to counting calories. I log them religiously and will reluctantly push away delicious dishes that might send me over my daily limit. Despite my strict eating habits, I must admit that I am a huge foodie through and through. I love cooking and eating and trying new foods. Over the past few years, as I have been cooking on my own, I have found recipes of foods that would normally be two days' worth of calories with healthy substitutes.

My new best friend in the kitchen? Cauliflower. You'd probably never guess it, but cauliflower is a great replacement for a lot of carbs, and it tastes pretty much exactly the same. Below are a few of my personal favorites:

1. Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I'm not going to say that it tastes exactly the same as normal pizza, but it's definitely a tasty, guilt-free version of it. It may sound complicated to make, but it's not as bad as it seems. Once you make the crust, you can put your favorite toppings on it!

2. Mashed Cauliflower

This is definitely one of my all-time favorites, I make it whenever I can. It tastes just as good as mashed potatoes, and you can add all the garlic and cheese that will make your heart sing!

3. Cauliflower Bread Sticks

Very similar to the pizza crust, this cheesy favorite is a simple go-to recipe!

4. Cauliflower Tortillas

You can enjoy these tortillas on their own or add in fillings to make it a quesadilla or taco!

5. General Tso's Cauliflower

For any Chinese takeout lovers, this one's for you! This recipe may require a little more patience, but it's definitely worth the time and effort.

6. Cauliflower Sauce

You can mix this in with pasta or rice in place of Alfredo sauce, or use it as white pizza sauce! It's a very flexible, flavorful, creamy sauce to add to your recipe box.

7. Cauliflower Chowder

Nothing beats drinking a hearty, warm soup in this cold weather. What's better than having comfort food that helps you meet your daily vegetable intake?

8. Crispy Parmesan Cauliflower Bites

Whip a batch of these up for your loved ones on game days! You can snack on these without worrying about racking up the calories that popcorn chicken normally would!

9. Scallion Pancakes

Replacing flour with the cauliflower in this recipe is genius. Here, the author serves it with a sriracha aioli, but you can also serve it with some minced garlic mixed in some low-sodium soy sauce.

10. Cauliflower Nuggets

You can serve these with ketchup, barbecue sauce, or honey mustard! As the website says, it's crunchy on the outside, gooey in the inside, and super super cheesy - YUM!

11. Bang Bang Cauliflower

Named for the sweet and tangy sauce, this is another great snack that's easy to whip up!

12. Cauliflower Fried Rice

I love that this recipe is so easy to follow and easily less than half the amount of calories you would normally eat with fried rice.

13. Cauliflower Shepherd's Pie

The beauty of this dish is that you can make it ahead of time to save yourself prep time later. You can make it the night before, and then pop it into the oven right before your meal is to be served.

14. Sausage and Cauliflower Recipe

An unlikely, but delicious combo. I personally am not a fan of eating tomatoes, so I just used tomato sauce instead.

15. Crispy Prosciutto-Wrapped Cauliflower

This a fancier, and dare I say tastier, version of pigs in blankets. Definitely a recipe to try if you really want to wow your guests!

I hope that you take the time to try out a few of these recipes, and that you learn to love cauliflower as much as I do! Happy cooking!